June 2006

Space Watch
Week of June 19 - June 23, 2006

Welcome to Space Watch. This is a weekly update compiled by The Eisenhower Institute of the most significant news items in civil, military and commercial space.

If you are interested in receiving a weekly email update version of Space Watch, please send an email to spacewatch@eisenhowerinstitute.org with the word "subscribe" in the subject line. Space Watch will be sent out every Friday.

 

Civil Space

 

 

Congress Increases NASA Science Funds
A House subcommittee passed a 2007 spending bill for NASA that would fund the organization at a level slightly below that requested by the President. However, despite providing nearly $83 million less than the proposed $16.792 billion request, the House Appropriations committee provided an extra $175 million for aeronautics and science. The addition was made by predominantly cutting back NASA's request for human spaceflight programs. The committee's chairman, Frank Wolf (R-VA) had recently made a pledge to add more money for NASA's aeronautics budget. Cut from the requested budget was $150 million from a development fund associated with the agency's exploration goals. Also cut were nearly $33 million in space station operations and $75 million from administrative accounts. The Planetary Society, one of the staunchest opponents to cuts in space science funding, applauded the $175 million increase, saying that it is a good first step toward putting NASA's science and human space flight programs back in balance.
(Berger, Brian. http://space.com/spacenews/businessmonday_060619.html, 6/19/06).

Space Assets Watching North Korea
US military and civilian satellites are concentrating closely on North Korea this week as the country has threatened to launch one of their Taepodong-2 missiles. The Taepodong-2 is allegedly capable of reaching the United States border nearly 3,000 miles away. Among those systems watching North Korea are the Orbview-3 and IKONOS commercial remote sensing satellites of GeoEye of Dulles, Virginia. Though many policy-makers fear that North Korea is developing and might be testing ICBM's, there is speculation that the upcoming threatened launch will likely be a communications satellite. However, there is very little difference between an ICBM and a satellite launch vehicle. Both the United States and Japan have issued stern warnings to North Korea that they should not go through with the launch.
(David, Leonard. http://space.com/news/060619_nkorea_missile.html, 6/19/06).

Vietnam to Launch its First Satellite Next Year
The French-based space transportation company, Arianespace, has agreed to launch Vietnam's first telecommunications satellite into orbit next year. The satellite, the VINASAT-1 will be launched from French Guiana on board an Ariane 5 rocket in the first half of 2008. Lockheed Martin will build the Vietnamese spacecraft. Lockheed won the contract over several Russian competitors. The satellite will provide radio, television and telephone transmission services for much of the Asia Pacific region, including Vietnam. The country's newest endeavor comes as it continues to maintain rapid economic growth. Arianespace has launched satellites into geo-stationary orbit for Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Australia, Malaysia, possibly India, and now Vietnam.
(AFP, http://www.spacedaily.com/2006/060620094018.oklz0kci.html, 6/20/06).

China Takes Step Towards Moon-Orbiting Satellite
China has demonstrated that it can successfully detect and track possible future moon-orbiting satellites according to China's Academy of Sciences. This new capability is made possible by a set of radio telescopes set up in various regions throughout China. The testing for this program was completed in an agreement between China and the European Space Agency. The test lasted five days and successfully tracked ESA's SMART-1 spacecraft as it circles the moon. This new telescope technology will be vital to China's first lunar orbiter, which they hope will be launched in April 2007. The orbiter, called the Chang'e 1, will be able to chart the lunar surface using a stereo camera system. Chang'e 1 is the first step in a multi-phase lunar mission that will attempt to send a robotic lunar lander to the moon in 2017 and a manned mission to it by 2024.
(David, Leonard. http://space.com/news/060621_china_probe.html, 6/21/06).

Pluto's Moons Officially Named
After much deliberation, the International Astronomical Union has officially named Pluto's two newest moons. The two tiny satellites were discovered by the Hubble Space Telescope last May and were known for that time as P1 and P2. Their official names are now Nix and Hydra. Nix was a goddess of the night in Greek mythology and the mother of Charon, the boatsman who ferried souls into the underworld rules by Pluto. Hydra comes from the nine-headed mythological serpent that guarded the sea, also Pluto's realm. The two names were also chosen for their first initials, which are the same initials of the program which found the two satellites: the New Horizons mission.
(Than, Ker. http://space.com/scienceastronomy/060621_nix_hydra.html, 6/21/06).

Shuttle a ‘Go' Despite Safety Concerns
NASA Administrator Michael Griffin's recent decision to proceed with the July 1st shuttle launch was apparently agreed to despite two top NASA officials voting against that decision. The two, chief safety officer Bryan O'Connor and chief engineer Chris Scolese, cited safety concerns as the reason for their ‘no-go' votes. Yet, despite their protests, they accepted Griffin's decision based on the fact that the crew would most likely be able to repair any shuttle damage or wait on the International Space Station for a rescue flight. "That's the difference between loss of vehicle and loss of crew," said O'Connor. "Even if I disagreed on the loss of vehicle, everyone in the room agreed the risk of loss of crew was acceptable." Both have now suggested that their objections were "more procedural," even bureaucratic, than operational. William H. Gerstenmaier, NASA's associate administrator for space operations, said that the risk posed by safety concerns is "not desirable" but that "we can tolerate it." The flight is expected to be launched on July 1st.
(Gugliotta, Guy. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/21/AR2006062101820.html, 6/22/06).

Expert Panel Testifies of the Dangers of an Attack on Satellites
Witnesses warned a US House Armed Services Subcommittee about the dangerous implications of an attack on US satellites in space. One witness suggested that the equivalent of a car bomb in space could take the economy back to the 1950's. US systems like GPS and commercial telecommunications already face dangers mounted by jamming from low-tech weapons on the ground, but witnesses suggested that a threat which is beginning to loom larger is the threat of a weapon launched into space designed to directly attack a satellite or detonate a nuclear device. This would cripple US military capability and dramatically affect day to day civilian lives. "We are at an unusually good moment for the US in space, and it won't last," said Brookings Institution fellow Michael O'Hanlon. "It can't last."
(Young, Kelly. http://www.newscientistspace.com/article/dn9393-space-attack-on-satellites-would-be-devastating.html, 6/23/06).

Europe to Help Russia With New Spacecraft
The European Space Agency has agreed to cooperate with the Russian Federation in the development of a new crew-transport vehicle for missions to the International Space Station. Japan is also likely to join the cooperative endeavor. The new program, formerly called the Clipper, has evolved into an effort to modify the present-day Soyuz capsule. The new program, called the Advanced Crew Transportation System (ACTS) could eventually develop into a completely new winged design. For the time being, the joint venture will focus on the development of the major ACTS systems. The initial agreement is for a two-year collaborative effort with ESA investing nearly $19 million. By 2008, the agencies will be in a position to determine whether or not a full-scale joint development effort might be warranted. ESA had shown an interest in joining the US Crew Exploration Vehicle program but were rebuffed by US government policy which made the vehicle off limits to foreign participants.
(de Selding, Peter. http://space.com/news/060623_clipper_esa.html, 6/23/06).

 

 

 

 

Commercial

 

 

 

Air Force Criticizes Launch Alliance Stalling
The United States Air Force Secretary, Michael Wynne, this week criticized the federal government for taking too long to review the rocket-launch alliance proposed by Boeing and Lockheed Martin. It has been more than a year since the two defense contractors asked the US government for permission to form the United Launch Alliance. Both companies suggested that the venture would be cost-effective and would guarantee the continuance of both companies' rocket businesses. Yet, federal antitrust regulators have still failed to formally approve the deal. "I feel like the decision process has gone overlong. And I kind of hope we can send a signal one way, one way or the other, frankly, to these companies," said Wynne. The Pentagon has long been a supporter of the deal as they would like to maintain at least two types of rockets in its arsenal as back-ups of each other. The deal would reportedly keep both rocket ventures in business.
(Christie, Rebecca. http://www.marketwatch.com/News/%7D&keyword=, 6/19/06).

 

 

 

 

 

Military

 

 

Air Force Launches Military and Intel Satellites
A Boeing Delta 2 rocket was successfully launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station this week by the US Defense Department. On board the Delta 2 rocket was two mini-satellites designed to pave the way for future military and intelligence satellites by testing new orbiting technologies. The program, called the Micro-Satellite Technology Experiment (MiTEx), was a joint effort of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the Air Force, and the Navy. The program is also designed to demonstrate how to lower the cost of future satellite launches.
(Kelly, John. http://www.flatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060622/NEWS02/606220328/1007, 6/20/06).

Space Watch
Week of June 5 - June 9, 2006

Welcome to Space Watch. This is a weekly update compiled by The Eisenhower Institute of the most significant news items in civil, military and commercial space.

If you are interested in receiving a weekly email update version of Space Watch, please send an email to spacewatch@eisenhowerinstitute.org with the word "subscribe" in the subject line. Space Watch will be sent out every Friday.

Civil Space

 

 

Russia Plans Robotic Moon Landing
Russia has released its plans for an ambitious robotic lunar landing in 2012, according to Roskosmos, the Russian space agency. The aggressive plan will include a lunar orbiter which will deploy 13 probes across the vast and diverse regions of the moon's surface. Included in the plans will be two penetrating probes which will attempt to take subsurface data of the moon. In the final stage, the mother ship will then drop a soft lander into a southern crater to search for signs of water ice. The mission, called the "Luna-Glob" mission, was recently made a formal part of the Russian space plan, and it will be launched on board a Soyuz booster rocket. Erik M. Galimov of the Moscow-based Vernadsky Institute of Geochemistry and Analytic Chemistry suggests that the new missions "could be helpful in collaboration with countries planning their first lunar explorations, such as Japan, China, and India."
(Covault, Craig. http://www.aviationnow.com/avnow/news/channel_awst_story.jsp?id=news/aw060506p2.xml, 6/4/06).

NASA Chooses Sites to Lead Moon and Mars Exploration
After an extensive search, NASA has named the specific agency centers that will be responsible for leading the initial elements of its Constellation exploration systems. The exploration systems which are involved in this program include the future crew exploration vehicle (CEV), the crew launch vehicle (CLV), heavy lift cargo launch vehicle and a lunar lander, as well as others. Ten centers were named this last week. The Johnson Space Center in Houston will host the Constellation program office and project offices for the CEV while the Marshall Space Flight Center in Albama will be responsible for management of the CLV and cargo launch vehicle programs. The Constellation program hopes to return American astronauts to space by 2014, nearly 4 years after retiring the shuttle program, and also to return a human to the moon by 2020.
(Flight International, http://www.flightglobal.com/Articles/+Constellation+mission+systems,+to+include+CEVs,.html, 6/6/06).

NASA Chief Welcomes Cooperation with Russia
NASA's Chief Administrator Michael Griffin mentioned at a news briefing this week that NASA would welcome cooperation with Russia in future space exploration missions beyond the current thrust of the International Space Station. The suggestion was made in response to a reporter's observation that Russian space officials have recently lamented about the lack of cooperation between the two prestigious space entities. Griffin said that although the Russians have not showed much interest in planetary explorations lately, NASA "would absolutely look forward to working with them" if they are interested in revitalizing "their proud history of planetary exploration." He sees no reason that the two countries can't act in the same cooperative way they did for the International Space Station.
(MosNews, http://www.mosnews.com/news/2006/06/07/griffin.shtml, 6/7/06).

Definition of "Planet" Coming Soon
In the hopes of breaking a growing deadlock over the debate regarding the definition of the word "planet," historians, educators, and astronomers will come together in August to try and propose a definitive answer to what constitutes a planet in the universe. The International Astronomical Union will attempt to propose wording to delineate planets from other objects at its 12-day General Assembly meeting in Prague in August. The debate has become more widespread as newfound Pluto-like objects have been found at the outer reaches of our solar system and beyond. For generations, the only characteristics that have accurately defined a "planet" have been simply a round, large object which orbits the sun. The debate over definition came to a head this summer when astronomers found an object the size of Pluto that orbits the sun beyond Neptune. Whether or not the object is a planet has been fiercely debated since, and the answer could change textbooks throughout the world. Perhaps the most vulnerable to the new system will be Pluto's characterization as a planet.
(Britt, Robert Roy. http://space.com/scienceastronomy/060608_planet_definition.html, 6/8/06).

Space Shuttle Crew Accepts Risks, Ready to Fly
The crew of the Space Shuttle Discovery gave a series of press briefings this week in which they told the nation that it is time to put the shuttle to the test. This, despite NASA's recent acknowledgement that there are still more fixes to be made. NASA's shuttle managers and crew have determined that the risk is worth the effort and are ready to launch sometime between July 1 and July 19th from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Problems with foam debris, the fatal blow for the Space Shuttle Columbia back in 2003, still continue to plague shuttle program managers, but they say they have taken care of most of the problem. "The real question was, do you fly what you have...or do you wait an undetermined amount...which could be many, many months, and then go fly it," says John Chapman, NASA's project manager for the external tank. NASA has decided to fly it now. The press conference and the public debates over the past month have indicated that NASA is indeed attempting to be more open about safety issues - one of the suggestions made by the panel convened after the Columbia tragedy.
(Boyle, Alan. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13212095/, 6/8/06).

Weather Satellite Program Back on Track
According to officials speaking at a Congressional oversight committee, the Defense Department agency responsible for a weather satellite program that is billions of dollars over budget and years behind schedule is back on track. The program, called the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System, was started back in 1994 as a joint effort between the Defense Department and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The satellites were designed to replace the weather systems now in orbit. However, the Defense Department has now announced, that in order to get the program back headed in the right direction, they have decided to reduce the number of satellites from six to four and that several instruments have also been dropped from the program. The smaller system is still set to be $11.5 billion, nearly $4.5 billion more than originally estimated and nearly five years over deadline, pushed back to 2013.
(Chang, Kenneth. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/09/science/09satellite.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin, 6/9/06).

NASA Cancels Climate Satellites
NASA has decided to cancel or shelve a number of the satellite programs that are designed to help scientists get information about climate change and the earth's environment. The changes come as NASA begins to re-prioritize its budget to help pay for the expected completion of the International Space Station and for its aggressive return to the moon program. The agency shelved a $200 million satellite designed by an MIT professor that would have taken important soil moisture tests. The tests were set to help scientists understand global warming and predict droughts and/or floods. NASA has cancelled its Deep Space Climate Observatory, a program which would have given information on the earth's ozone layer, and it has delayed several other programs designed to study climate change. Many scientists are critical of the new re-prioritization out of NASA, especially in light of the recent allegations that Bush administration officials tried to silence scientists' warnings about global warming.
(Daley, Beth. http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2006/06/09/nasa_shelves_climate_satellites/ 6/9/06).

 

 

 

Commercial

 

 

 

World's Fourth Space Tourist Is Confirmed
Daisuke "Dice-K" Enomoto, a Japanese mutli-million dollar entrepreneur, has been officially announced as the world's fourth tourist to make the trip to space, according to Space Adventures. If, for some reason, Enomoto is unable to make the trip, Space Adventures has announced his backup: Anousheh Ansari, who, if on board, would be the first female space tourist ever. Both Enomoto and his back-up, Ansari are undergoing training at "Star City," a Russian astronaut training facility. Enomoto will tag along on board a Soyuz rocket mission with the 14th Expedition Crew. Tentatively, the flight will take off on September 15th. Space Adventures, the company responsible for brokering these tourist deals, has provided these services for a reported price of $20 million.
(Than, Ker. http://space.com/news/060607_iss_ansari.html, 6/7/06).

 

 

 

Military

 

 

Defense Department Releases Report on China's Military Space Power
The Office of the Secretary of Defense this week released a new report called "Military Power of the People's Republic of China: A Report to Congress." In it, the DOD suggests that China's growing space capabilities has increased its competence as a global military force. The document also asserts that China is in pursuit of an offensive anti-satellite system. The annual report examines the current and future military strategy of the Chinese military and also its military-technological development with regards to space capabilities and security strategy. One of the claims made by the report is that China is pursuing anti-satellite capability, including at least one "which appears to be a ground-based laser designed to damage or blind imaging satellites" and several types of "new concept" weapon systems, including a radio frequency weapon. Critics, including Jeffrey Lewis from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, deride the document as a "useless compendium of previously established facts lacking the necessary qualifications about what the intelligence community does not know." Lewis has argued that the Director of National Intelligence should report on Chinese military power, not the Secretary of Defense.
(David, Leonard. http://space.com/news/060605_china_military.html, 6/5/06).

 

Space Watch
Week of June 12 - June 16, 2006

Welcome to Space Watch. This is a weekly update compiled by The Eisenhower Institute of the most significant news items in civil, military and commercial space.

If you are interested in receiving a weekly email update version of Space Watch, please send an email to spacewatch@eisenhowerinstitute.org with the word "subscribe" in the subject line. Space Watch will be sent out every Friday.

 

Civil Space

 

 

New Crater on Moon One Month Old
NASA astronauts have found a recently created crater on the surface of the moon. The crater was originally formed when a meteoroid hit the moon's Sea of Clouds on May 2, 2006 with the force of nearly 4 tons of dynamite. According to NASA scientists, the meteoroid was around 10 inches wide traveling at 85,000 miles per hour when it hit. If the same meteoroid were headed towards Earth, says Bill Cooke, head of NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office, the Earth's atmosphere would vaporize it, "making a spectacular fireball in the sky but no crater." With NASA's new Vision for Space Exploration sending future astronauts to the moon, one wonders whether these impacts could cause a problem. "That's what we're trying to figure out," says Cooke. "No one knows exactly how many meteoroids hit the moon everyday."
(NASA, http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2006/13jun_lunarsporadic.htm, 6/13/06).

Genesis Crash Caused by Design Flaw
According to a report released this week by an independent investigation panel, the crash of the Genesis NASA space probe in 2004 was caused by a design flaw. The Genesis craft crashed into a Utah desert on September 8, 2004, after a three year mission collecting solar wind atoms and returning them to Earth. The craft's chutes never opened and the $264 million mission crashed destructively into Earth contaminating the cosmic samples, rendering them useless. According to investigators, Lockheed Martin, the probe's main contractor, failed to conduct an important test on the craft before it was launched. The test would have reportedly found the flaw before it was too late. Investigators also blamed NASA's new "faster, better, cheaper" philosophy as it led to mistakes being made at critical stages in the probe's development. The philosophy "created an ever-present threat of cancellation if overruns occurred on cost-capped missions," said the panel. The Genesis project, if it had been successful, would have helped shed light on the origins of our own sun nearly 4.5 billion years ago.
(Chang, Alicia. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060614/ap_on_sc/genesis_crash, 6/14/06).

Shuttle Crew Conducts Practice Countdown
This Thursday, the space shuttle Discovery crew boarded the shuttle for a practice countdown. The crew's five men and two women have been preparing for a July launch date, the exact date of which has not yet been set. Managers are scheduled to decide on a firm date by this Saturday, following a two-day flight review. The window for the flight lasts from July 1st through the 19th. "I don't really know of anything out there that would preclude a July 1 launch," said Discovery Commander Steve Lindsey. NASA has not launched a shuttle mission since nearly a year ago in July 2005 when Discovery's external fuel tank sustained significant debris problems. Thursday's countdown is one fo the final steps before NASA gives the final ‘go' for flight.
(Klotz, Irene. http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=scienceNews&storyID=2006-06-15T231337Z_01_N15396334_RTRUKOC_0_US-SPACE-SHUTTLE.xml, 6/15/06).

India to Possibly Cooperate with Israel on Space Launch
According to a press report, a senior delegation from India's space agency visited secretly with a few Israeli senior defense and Science Ministry officials regarding possible cooperation between the two countries in space launch capabilities. The main thrust of the meeting revolved around a project to launch an Israeli space telescope on board an Indian launcher. The possible cooperation would take place next June, and is not the first possible joint work in the area. India, in the past, had invited Israel to participate in its project to fly a satellite around the moon. The cooperation was cancelled due to budget concerns.
(Zinger, Tzvi. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3263538,00.html, 6/15/06).

Europe Holds Space Parliamentarian Meeting
The 8th European Inter-parliamentary Space Conference was held this week in Brussels. The conference was attended by 10 European countries, and the focus of the discussions centered around European space projects such as Galileo and GMES as well as European space policy and international cooperation in space science and research. Each year this conference convenes members from around Europe in order to address emerging space issues and challenges for European decision-makers. This year's meeting is supposed to be the next step in drafting an official European space policy document, which should be endorsed by the Space Council some time in 2007. Also being discussed is the European Union space budget for 2007 until 2013.
(Belgian Senate, http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMLHCAATME_index_0.html, 6/15/06).

Russia Successfully Launches Cosmic Ray Detector
A joint project between four countries was launched into space this week by a Russian Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur space base in Kazakhstan. The PAMELA (Payload for Antimatter Matter Exploration and Light-Nuclei Astrophysics) experiment is a collaboration between Russia, Italy, Germany, and Sweden designed to help detect cosmic rays and unlock the secrets of antimatter and dark matter. The 470 kilogram craft is expected to spend three years in orbit over the course of its experimentation. Hoping to detect what scientists call anti-matter, an entity that has the same mass as normal matter but the opposite charge, the craft will also search for signs of dark matter, which can be detected only from space and only by its gravitational effect on normal matter.
(McKee, Maggie.
http://www.newscientistspace.com/article/dn9337--are-new-probes-prey.html, 6/15/06).

 

 

Commercial

 

 

 

Oklahoma Spaceport is a ‘Go'
This week the Federal Aviation Administration gave its approval to the state of Oklahoma for its commercial spaceflight operations center. Under the terms of the deal, the former military base near Burns Flat, Oklahoma would be converted into a spaceport capable of launching new suborbital spacecraft next year. The decision puts Oklahoma in competition for the newly expanding space tourism market, a market that has found a home in New Mexico, Florida, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates. Even with the decision, however, launcher operators would still need to obtain a launch license from the FAA. Rocketplane, Ltd, Oklahoma's very own suborbital company, is currently working on the final step for the completion of its license application and is looking to conduct a flight test program in 2007. The plane being developed by Rocketplane would take off and land like a conventional airplane, but it would rocket itself nearly 62 miles above ground and give its tourists a few minutes of weightlessness.
(Boyle, Alan. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13304491/, 6/13/06).

 

 

 

 

 

Opinion

 

 

Opinion: United Launch Alliance, a Good Idea or a Necessary Evil
In his opinion piece in this week's Space Review, Taylor Dinerman attempts to determine whether the joint space venture between Boeing and Lockheed in the development of the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) is a worthwhile endeavor. Dinerman argues that for the most part, defense consolidation in the US has been a dismal failure as it inevitably leads to "a loss of management skill; a reduction in design, development, and production expertise, and...cost overruns and delays." In the proposed United Launch Alliance, for instance, Dinerman suggest that there might be room for both Boeing's Delta 4 and Lockheed's Atlas 5 programs to take off. Though Dinerman does concede that the biggest problem facing the program is not the merger, but rather, the length of time it is taking for the US government to give the project the final go-ahead. This delay "has played havoc with the lives and careers of dozens of high-qualified technicians, engineers, scientists, and managers." Dinerman concludes by saying that the stabilization of the EELV program should be the US government's current priority in space development and acquisition.
(Dinerman, Taylor, http://www.thespacereview.com/article/640/1, 6/12/06).

Opinion: The Problems of Orbital Strike Constellations
In their opinion piece from this week's Space Review, Laura Grego and David Wright attempt to dispel the notion that space-based global strike systems are a technologically worthwhile endeavor for United States policy-makers. They argue that the technical problems with creating such a space-based weapon are so prohibitive that the program should be dropped. For example, to have a response time (anywhere in the world) of about 30 minutes, one would need some 100 satellites in orbit. Also, to suggest that weapons can simply be dropped from space-based assets is blatantly wrong. As they say, objects in orbit stay in orbit until some force propels them towards the Earth. This force requires massive amounts of fuel not to mention the rockets which would need to propel them up there in the first place. Since launch costs hover around $10,000 per pound, a constellation capable of a 30 minute response time would be astronomical. In addition, space-based weapons such as these do very little to protect assets in space, the very objective they are being developed for. As a result, the US should focus instead on Responsive Space and the ability to rapidly replace satellites, making them less attractive targets.
(Grego, Laura, Wright, David, http://www.thespacereview.com/article/638/1, 6/12/06).

 

Space Watch
Week of June 26 - June 29, 2006

Welcome to Space Watch. This is a weekly update compiled by The Eisenhower Institute of the most significant news items in civil, military and commercial space.

If you are interested in receiving a weekly email update version of Space Watch, please send an email to spacewatch@eisenhowerinstitute.org with the word "subscribe" in the subject line. Space Watch will be sent out every Friday.

 

 

Shuttle Update

 

Discovery Launch Countdown Begins
The countdown for Saturday's launch of Space Shuttle Discovery, which started on Wednesday, moved smoothly towards the end of the week. The only major issue left for the launch is the potential of storm clouds on Saturday. No technical issues have been reported for the launch, yet there is a 60 percent chance of unacceptable weather for Saturday's launch time. If managers are unable to launch on Saturday, they will try for Sunday, take a break on Monday, and try again Tuesday. Discovery will be launched for a 12-day mission to the International Space Station. It will bring supplies to the station, drop off another member of the ISS crew, and test and, if necessary, repair damage sustained by continued problems with foam tiles.
(Schneider, Mike. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060629/ap_on_sc/space_shuttle, 6/29/06).

 

 

Civil Space

 

 

NASA Seeks Help From Science Community for Lunar Exploration
NASA, in the hopes of developing a strategic, well-conceived lunar exploration program, is planning to closely consult with the scientific community before proceeding with its lunar vision. NASA has reportedly asked the National Academy of Sciences to develop a prioritized list of science goals for the lunar vehicles that NASA intends to start launching in 2008. Draft recommendations from the science community are due later this summer. Paul Hertz, chief scientists for NASA's Science Mission Directorate said that this is "a unique and expensive opportunity, and we want to make sure we are concentrating our limited resources on the highest priorities that can be enabled by this program." Hertz also mentioned that the exploration program is "not science driven," but that NASA wants to do as much science as they possibly can in the process.
(Berger, Brian. http://space.com/spacenews/businessmonday_060626.html, 6/26/06).

Asteroid Passes Close By Earth
A huge asteroid is set to pass relatively close to Earth on July 3rd. The half-mile diameter rock will be visible for stargazers with a decent telescope as it passes just beyond the Moon's average distance from Earth. The asteroid, designated as 2004 XP14, was discovered nearly two years ago and is a member of the class of asteroids known as Apollo, or those which have Earth-crossing orbits. Its orbit will take it nearly 268,624 miles from Earth and it will return to brush relatively close again later this century, though scientists have ruled out a possible collision. Scientists are hoping to get a better understanding of this asteroid by pinging it with radar as it passes through the Earth's orbit.
(Rao, Joe. http://space.com/scienceastronomy/060626_asteroid_close.html, 6/26/06).

Russian Ship Docks With ISS
A Russian Progress cargo ship successfully docked with the International Space Station this week, according to Russian Mission Control. The ship, launched last week from Kazakhstan, carried nearly 3 tons of food, water, and equipment for the astronauts, Russian Pavel Vinogradov and American Jeffrey Williams, currently residing in the ISS.
(AP, http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--, 6/26/06).

China Opens Up Its Space Program
In an effort to make its space program more transparent and engage the United States and other nations in space cooperative endeavors, China this week gave reporters a glimpse of its space program. The press event included a visit by its first astronaut and a 90-minute chaperoned tour of the mission control center outside of Beijing. China is hoping that with a more open approach to its space program, it might be able to gain access for its scientists to US space conferences and possibly a role in the International Space Station, among other possible cooperative endeavors. "By opening up, they relieve problems and bring about the prospect of cooperation," says Charles Vick, a space analyst for GlobalSecurity.org. The highlight of the event was a visit by China's first astronaut, Colonel Yang Liwei, who spoke for about 15 minutes about the "peaceful development of space."
(McDonald, Joe. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060628/ap_on_sc/china_space, 6/28/06).

Engineer Removed from Shuttle Team
Charles Camarda, the director of engineering at the Johnson Space Center and a member of the management team for the upcoming space shuttle flight, was removed from the shuttle team this week, several days before the scheduled launch. Camarda said in an email correspondence that the move was against his will and came as a result of his support for workers who questioned the preparations for the upcoming July 1st shuttle flight. "I refused to abandon my position on the team and asked that if I would not be allowed to work this mission that I would have to be fired...and I was," said the email. The Space Center refused to comment on the removal, but suggested that Camarda was not fired, but rather re-assigned.
(Carreau, Mark. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/space/4004817.html, 6/28/06).

 

 

 

 

Commercial

 

 

 

Treasury Department Freezes Chinese Space Assets
The US Treasury Department has frozen the financial assets of one of China's space corporations for their support in aiding Iranian missile development. The financial assets of the China Great Wall Industry Corporation were frozen this week for its suspected support of the Iranian Shahab-3 ballistic missile. The Shahab-3 is assumed to have an 800-1,000 mile range and can strike southeastern Europe. "The companies targeted," said Stuart Levy, undersecretary in the Treasury Department, "have supplied Iran's military and Iranian proliferators with missile-related and dual-use components." The move by the US could dampen hopes of increased US-China space cooperation at a time when both countries were warming to each other in this area. NASA Administrator Michael Griffin had recently accepted an invitation to visit China. The company, owned by the Chinese government, has reacted angrily to the asset freeze.
(Covault, Craig. http://www.aviationnow.com/avnow/news/aw062606p2.xml, 6/25/06).

 

 

 

 

 

Military

 

 

EELV Program Launches Clandestine Satellite
A Boeing Delta 4 rocket was fired from the Space Launch Complex at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California this week and inserted a new clandestine spy satellite for the NRO into orbit. This launch marks the inaugural journey of the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle program and is the first such launch of a national security spacecraft on board the modern rocket program. The EELV rockets have launched 14 times since 2002, but all had previously been launched from Cape Canaveral in Florida. The EELV was created a decade ago by the US Air Force in the hopes of instigating a more efficient, cheaper, and less cumbersome US rocket arsenal. The Delta 4 rocket is Boeing's answer to the Air Force's call, while the Atlas 5 rocket is Lockheed Martin's answer. The successful launch comes after numerous delays caused by payload problems and fuel issues.
(Ray, Justin. http://www.spaceflightnow.com/delta/d317/, 6/27/06).

New Space Command General Takes Charge
General Kevin P. Chilton has assumed command of the US Air Force's Space Command this week. General Chilton earned his fourth general's star shortly prior to his assumption into the position. As a former astronaut, General Chilton is the first astronaut to earn a fourth star. Chilton flew on three space shuttle missions while working at NASA and served as their deputy program manager for operations for the International Space Station program. As the new commander, he succeeds General Lance Lord, who retired on April 1st of this year.
(Ratey, Karim. http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?storyID=123022507, 6/27/06).